Male incontinence is a condition characterized by involuntary loss of urine, beyond the individual's control. One cause for this condition is damage to the urethral sphincter, such as can occur after prostatectomy, after radiation or after pelvic accidents. Other accepted reasons for male incontinence include bladder instability, over-flowing incontinence and fistulas.
The present application is directed to the treatment of male urinary incontinence which is related to urethral sphincter damage. Currently, the treatment of choice involves implantation of a Kaufman Prosthesis, an artificial sphincter (such as AMS-800), and a sling procedure in which a sling is inserted beneath the urethra and advanced in the retro pubic space, and perforating the abdominal fascia, such as in female sling procedures. See, Joseph J. Kaufman and Shlomo Raz, Urethral compression procedure for the treatment of male urinary incontinence, Journal of Urology 121: 605-608 (1979).
Cystocele is a condition in which, due to laxity of the pelvic floor, the bladder extrudes out and downwards. The severity of this bladder collapse is rated between grades 1-4. In grade four cystocele, the bladder extrudes out of the vaginal opening. The treatment of choice for this condition includes the reduction or closing of the pelvic floor opening from which the bladder descends using sutures.
As background to the inventions of the present application, further information is provided in the following publications, the disclosures of which are fully incorporated herein by reference: Eddie H. M. Sze, M.D and Mickey M. Karrara, M.D., Transvaginal repair of vault prolapse: a review, Obstetrics & Gynecology 89(3): 466-475 (1997); Shlomo Raz, M.D., Female Urology, Chapter 29 (Pathogenesis of Cystocele), Chapter 43 (Uterine Prolapse), Chapter 44 (Enterocele and Vault Prolapse); Joseph J. Kaufman and Shlomo Raz, Urethral compression procedure for the treatment of male urinary incontinence, Journal of Urology 121: 605608 (1979); Robert Cox and Peter H. L. Worth, Results of Treatment of Post-Prostatectomy Incontinence Using the Kaufman Prosthesis, Eur. Urol. 12: 154-157 (1986); Olavi A. Lukkarinen, Matti J. Kontturi, et al., Treatment of Urinary Incontinence with an Implantable Prosthesis, Scan. J. Urol. Nephrol. 23: 85-88 (1989); Sender Herschorn and Sidney B. Radomski, Fascial Slings and Bladder Neck Tapering in the Treatment of Male Neurogenic Incontinence, J. Urology 147: 1073-1075 (1992); Gene R. Barrett, M.D. Stephen H. Treacy, M.D. and Cynthia G. Ruff, M.D., Preliminary Results of the T-Fix Endoscopic Meniscus Repair Technique in an Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Population, Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery, 13: 218-223 (1997).